On March 9, 2018, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced 5 cases of angiostrongyliasis in Thai workers. All 5 cases have consumed raw or undercooked apple snails and they are all currently hospitalized for treatment. They have been provided with specific medication. Taiwan CDC urges public to avoid eating raw foods, wash vegetables, fruits and hands thoroughly prior to eating, and snails must be thoroughly cooked prior to consumption.
According to the epidemiological investigation, 9 Thai workers who work in a factory in southern Taiwan consumed undercooked and even raw apple snails collected around the factory on February 26. Among the workers, 6 developed severe symptoms, including fever, headache and stiffness and they respectively sought medical attention on March 4 and 5. The physician suspected angiostrongyliasis in the cases after finding out they had consumed raw apple snails and reported them to the local health authority. 5 cases were confirmed to have contracted angiostrongyliasis. As of now, all 6 cases have been administered with the medication and hospitalized for treatment.
The primary route for the transmission of human angiostrongyliasis is through ingesting undercooked, contaminated apple snails, land snails or slugs and water or vegetables contaminated with slime of infected snails. Ingested larvae usually migrate to the central nervous system and cause neurologic symptoms. Meningitis and acute severe headache are two of the most commonly seen symptoms. Other symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, neck pain, and neck stiffness might occur. Symptoms of eye invasion include eyesight deterioration.
Taiwan CDC reminds the public to avoid consuming raw or undercooked snails. It is recommended to always wear gloves when handling snails and thoroughly wash hands and the chopping board after handling snails. In addition, it is advised to thoroughly clean fruits and vegetables when eating them raw to lower the risk of infection. For more information, please call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Care Hotline, 1922, or 0800-024582 if calling from a cell phone, or visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at https://www.cdc.gov.tw.